B-Speak English Stories and Spotlights

Mauro Ovalle - Colombia

Cornell Johnson MBA '26

Q&A with B-Speak! Director Christina Ball 

Mauro, tell us a little about yourself! Where are you from and what are your professional goals and other interests?

I was born in Bogota, Colombia. I have been living here my whole life. I have somewhere around 5 years of experience working in investment banking here in Colombia and in South Ameri...

Xiaoyu Song - China 

Rice Full-Time MBA '25

Q&A with B-Speak! Director Christina Ball 

Xiaoyu, tell us a little about yourself! Where are you from and what are your professional goals and other interests?

I’m from Beijing, China. I worked as a Senior Accountant at Big 4 before I decided to pursue my MBA at Rice. I currently have no specific goal after graduation but willing to take a...

Pedro Henrique Giacomeli de Almeida - Brazil

Darden Full-Time MBA '25

Q&A with B-Speak! Director Christina Ball 

Pedro, tell us a little about yourself! Where are you from and what are your professional goals and other interests?

My name is Pedro and I am originally from Brazil. I have always been passionate about business and have a strong interest in transitioning to a career in whic...

Ana Paola De la Parra - Mexico

Darden Full-Time MBA '24

Q&A with B-Speak! Director Christina Ball 

Ana, tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am Mexican and hold an undergraduate degree in Finance and 9+ years of business experience in information analysis, strategic planning and socially responsible management across different industries including banking, non-profit, education, and ind...

Together, Accepted and B-Speak! Help International Applicants Present their Best Selves to their Top Schools!

Over the years, our B-Speak! English coaches have supported countless applicants by helping them hone their interview skills prior to applying or after being waitlisted. Oftentimes, they share comments like "Where were you last year?! I wish I would've discovered B-Speak! sooner in th...

Jose Pacheco - Honduras

Rice-Business Full-Time MBA '24

Q&A with B-Speak! Director Christina Ball 

Jose, tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am a doctor from Honduras and have worked in the research, clinical, and administrative areas of healthcare. I am passionate about creating teams with the mission of building great long-term relationships with our patients as well as helping them ...

Nydia Tumalewa - Indonesia

Darden MBA '23

Q&A with B-Speak! Director Christina Ball 

Nydia, what motivated or inspired you to undertake an MBA in the U.S.? What attracted you most about Darden?

I’ve spent the last 5 years in my home country of Indonesia working in corporate banking, and I’ve always wanted to learn about other industries. I thought getting an MBA would be a great career mo...

Zihan Sha - China

Darden MBA '23

Q&A with B-Speak! Director Christina Ball 

Zihan, what motivated or inspired you to undertake an MBA in the U.S.? What attracted you most to the program at Darden?

I’ve always been the type of person who wants to explore new cultures and different experiences. An MBA program gives me a fantastic opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds. Beside...

Rifqi N. - Indonesia

Darden Full-Time MBA '24

Q&A with B-Speak! Director Christina Ball 

Rifqi, tell us about yourself?

Sure! I’m from Jakarta, Indonesia. I’m actually an engineer by training, but decided to pivot into consulting after my undergrad, doing four years in consulting divisions at big-4 firms. After my MBA, the plan is to join either big tech or a consulting firm.

What motiva...

Rebecca Joslin

Accomplished Global English Professional Shines on the B-Speak! Team 

Q&A with Autumn Hardy

Rebecca, tell us a little bit about yourself:

Originally from Massachusetts, I grew up in the Deep South, which I believe gave me a deep appreciation for contrast. And at a very young age, my love of traveling and people who were different from me was born. I have a Bachelor’s degree ...